9 Parks Road 9 Parks Road, OxfordBuilding No. 1 193 ConservationConservation Plan, August Plan 2013 August 2013 Estates Services

University of Oxford

August 2013

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/estates/conservation/conservationmanagementplans#

Abbreviations:

ESA – Estates Services Archives

OS – Ordnance Survey

OUA – Oxford University Archives

NPPF - National Planning Policy Framework, 2012

RCHM – An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the City of Oxford (London, 1939)

9 Parks Road, Oxford 2 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 PARKS ROAD, OXFORD

CONSERVATION PLAN

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 7

1.1 Purpose of the Conservation Plan 7

1.2 Scope of the Conservation Plan 8

1.3 Existing Information 8

1.4 Methodology 9

1.5 Constraints 9

2 UNDERSTANDING THE SITE 13

2.1 History of the Site 13

2.2 Construction and Subsequent History of 9 Parks Road 14

3 SIGNIFICANCE 25

3.1 Significance as part of Parks Road and the Central (City and University) 25 Conservation Area

3.2 Architectural Significance 27

3.2.1 External Elevations 27

3.2.2 Internal Spaces 28

3.3 Archaeological Significance 29

3.4 Historical Significance 29

3.5 Functional Significance 29

4 VULNERABILITIES 33

4.1 Accessibility 33

4.2 Maintenance 34

9 Parks Road, Oxford 3 Conservation Plan, August 2013 4.2.1 Exterior Elevations and Setting 34

4.2.2 Internal Spaces 35

5 CONSERVATION POLICY 39

6 BIBLIOGRAPHY 45

7 APPENDICES 51

Appendix 1: Listed Building Description 51

Appendix 2: Conservation Area Description 55

Appendix 3: Chronology of 9 Parks Road 59

Appendix 4: Checklist of Significant Features 63

Appendix 5: Floor plans 65

9 Parks Road, Oxford 4 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 5 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 6 Conservation Plan, August 2013 1 INTRODUCTION

9 Parks Road was constructed as a private house before 1860. The building was acquired by the University of Oxford in 1913 and P. Morley Horder designed its 3 extensions. From 1925 until 1970 it was occupied by the Institute of Agricultural Economics. It was subsequently utilised by the Radcliffe Science Library and then the Chemical Crystallography unit of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry. Since 2004 it has served as the divisional offices for Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences.

1.1 Purpose of the Conservation Plan

The University has an unrivalled portfolio of historic buildings, of which it is rightly proud. It has traditionally taken a thorough, holistic approach to building conservation, seeking to understand all the varied factors that make historic buildings significant to their diverse stakeholders, and using this to inform necessary change. It has become clear that this approach is vital to the conservation culture of an institution where so many of its historic buildings that are valued for their function also have extensive historical or architectural significance. This Conservation Plan represents the continuation of this tradition of seeking to understand what makes the University’s buildings cherished assets, and of seeking ways to conserve these most important features for the enjoyment of future generations.

The success of this approach is such that it has now become codified in government policy: First in March 2010’s Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historical Environment then in its replacement, March 2012’s National Planning Policy Framework (hereafter: NPPF). NPPF provides useful guidance on approaching the conservation of heritage assets, and postdates the University’s existing literature. NPPF defines a heritage asset as:

‘A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. Heritage asset includes designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing).’

This designation clearly applies to 9 Parks Road.

The purpose of this Conservation Plan is to update 9 Parks Road’s conservation policy to take into account the new guidance provided by NPPF. It will be of use both for informing responsible regular maintenance and in the preparation of future planning applications, as specified in NPPF paragraph 128.

The Conservation Plan should form the basis for 9 Parks Road’s Conservation Policy and exists as part of an ongoing process. It will be renewed and updated at least every five years or following any major alterations or legislative changes.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 7 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Figure 1. Satellite image of 9 Parks Road and the surrounding area. The original portion of the building is highlighted in red. The 1925 extension is highlighted in blue, the 1932 extension is highlighted in yellow, and the 1938 extension is highlighted in green 1.2 The Scope of the Conservation Plan

This plan will cover the interior and exterior of 9 Parks Road, a Grade-II-listed building in north-eastern central Oxford.

The plan is not a catalogue and to facilitate its practical use will concentrate only on the most vulnerable aspects of the building’s significance, suggesting how they should be approached and conserved in the future. A brief list of the most significant architectural features can be found in Appendix 4 and should be referred to when planning any repair or alteration work.

1.3 Existing Information

9 South Parks Road is not a well-documented building and there is only limited existing information available regarding it:

The Oxford University Archives and the Estates Services archives contain useful plans and documents and these have kindly been made available for the composition of this document. Some information has also been kindly provided by the archives of previous landholders, St. John’s College and Lincoln College.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 8 Conservation Plan, August 2013 The original 1972 list description (Appendix 1) is characteristically brief for a listing of its age but does give some indication of the features that were thought to make up the particular character for which the building was originally listed.

Planning and listed building consent applications have been made during the building’s recent history and these provide a fragmentary indication of the changes that have occurred in the building over time.

This document draws on statutory guidance from NPPF prepared by HM’s Department for Communities and Local Government in March 2012.

1.4 Methodology

The Conservation Plan is a document that assesses the current and predicted conservation needs of 9 Parks Road and attempts to address them with a view towards maintaining and enhancing the significance of the heritage asset. Its formulation to supersede any existing literature is a response to the requirements of NPPF, and it is prepared in accordance with the policies contained therein.

1.5 Constraints

9 Parks Road and its environs are subject to various constraints imposed by Oxford City Council:

 CP.3: – Limiting the Need to Travel: New development will be limited to accessible locations on previously developed sites.

 CS.1 – Hierarchy of Centres – City Centre Commercial Area: The city centre will be the main location for developments attracting a large number of people. In particular, planning permission will be granted for development that supports its role as a Centre for Significant Change, such as major retail, leisure, cultural and office development. Most major development will be focused in the West End of the city centre.

 HE.2 – Archaeology Area: Where archaeological deposits that are potentially significant to the historical environment of Oxford are known or suspected to exist anywhere in Oxford but in particular the City Centre Archaeological Area, planning applications should incorporate sufficient information to define the character and extent of such deposits as far as reasonably practicable.

 HE.7 – Conservation Area: The Central (City and University) Conservation Area: Planning permission will only be granted for development that preserves of enhances the special character and appearance of the conservation areas or their setting.

 HE.9 – High Building Area: Planning permission will not be granted for any development within a 1,200-metre radius of Carfax which exceeds 18.2m in height, except for minor elements of no bulk.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 9 Conservation Plan, August 2013  The City of Oxford Smoke Control Order No.1: It is an offence to emit smoke from the chimney of a building.

 TR.3, TR.11, and TR.12 – Car Parking Standards: The City Council will not allow any significant increase in the overall number of car-parking spaces in the transport Central Area or development that provides an inappropriate level of car-parking spaces. It will attempt to reduce the level of non-residential car parking.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 10 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 11 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 12 Conservation Plan, August 2013 2 UNDERSTANDING THE SITE

2.1 History of the Site1

The site of Oxford has had sporadic settlement since the Neolithic period. Bronze Age barrows have been found in the University Parks (linear barrow cemetery) and in the Science Area (double-ditched barrow). Oxford has had a continuous history of occupation since at least the 8th Century AD. The University of Oxford itself has a long-standing tradition of exceptional education: Able to trace its roots to the 11th Century, it is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

The site upon which 9 Parks Road now stands is situated in the northeast of the city. This area was developed in the 19th Century, notably with the construction of Keble College to the north in 1868-70. The area to the east of Keble and 9 Parks Road became the focus for University science buildings following the construction of the University Museum in 1855- 60. Additions to the University Museum (notably T.G. Jackson’s Radcliffe Science Library in 1898-1900) and new laboratory buildings came to fill this area throughout the later 19th and the 20th centuries. The near-continuous history of development in this area has created a crowded space at the south of the University Park’s precinct. It is the main centre for the study of sciences within the University, and is now known as the University Science Area.

Figure 2. Extract from 1878 OS map of Oxford. 9 Parks Road is highlighted in red. © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited (2013). All rights reserved. (2013) A series of eight suburban villas were built along South Parks Road between 1866 and 1876. 2 Museum Terrace, now part of Lincoln College, was constructed in the 1870s and 1880s along

1 A short chronology of 9 Parks Road can be found in Appendix 3. 2 Saint, A., “Three Oxford Architects” in Oxoniensia XXXV (1960) 73. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 13 Conservation Plan, August 2013 the southern side of what since 1897 has been known as Museum Road.3 Parks Road became a public highway in the early 1870s.4 9 Parks Road predates this, having been in place at least by 1860. 10 Parks Road, immediately to the north of the heritage asset, operated as Charsley’s Hall, a permanent private hall, from c.1854, with the extant building dating from 1862. Initially the houses in this area would have stood relatively isolated in a leafy setting, with the open green space of the newly-formed University Parks and the University Museum to the north and east. The development of the Science Area and other structures soon changed the setting though and, other than the conspicuous buildings of the Science Area, the most prominent structure close to the heritage asset is Sir Herbert Baker’s Rhodes House (completed in 1923) to the east. The former School of Agricultural Science (now part of St. John’s College) was constructed immediately to the south of 9 Parks Road to a design by Basil Champneys in 1907 and extended in 1910.

The main developments around Parks Road during the 20th century onwards have been related to the Science Area to the east and northeast, for instance: the construction of Paul Waterhouse’s Dyson Perrins Laboratory in 1913-22; the Experimental Psychology building on the corner of St. Cross Road, built in 1971; the Chemistry Research Laboratory on the corner of Mansfield Road, constructed 2000-4 in the previous location of 3 and 4 South Parks Road; and the Biomedical Sciences building opened in 2008 (Figure 1).

Due to driving restrictions in the city centre, Parks Road is surprisingly busy with motor traffic, providing a by-pass from north Oxford to the south and east of the city. Despite this, the character of the area is of a leafy, academic suburb, defined more by the soft hues and varied geometry of the Victorian and early 20th-century structures than by the rectangular lines of the later laboratory buildings.

2.2 Construction and Subsequent History of 9 Parks Road

9 Parks Road was originally only the north-eastern portion of the extant structure and Pevsner tentatively dates this to the early 19th century but the grounds for this are not cited.5 This first phase was certainly in place by 1860, when it appears on the conveyance documents for the adjacent 10 Parks Road.6 At this point it was a private house owned by St. John’s College and the lessee was G. Dayman Esq. This earliest part of the building predated Parks Road becoming a public highway in 1871/2, which is why the original front door was not aligned towards the street but rather faced southwards.7 The building is described in its 1913 conveyance to the University of Oxford as “Museum Cottage”, a name that remained in use until 1925. Mentions of Museum Cottage appear as early as 1886, when rooms were taken there for a Mr. Hill.8 In 1893, 9 Parks Road appears in street directories as the residence of

3 Hibbert, C., The Encyclopaedia of Oxford (London, 1988) 265. 4 Ibid, 315-6. 5 Pevsner, N., and Sherwood, J., Buildings of England: Oxfordshire (Harmondsworth, 1974) 276. 6 ESA. 7 Jackson’s Oxford Journal, 16th December 1871. 8 OUA, ref. UC/FF/60/2/3. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 14 Conservation Plan, August 2013 William Stone, though it is described as St. John’s Cottage in this instance.9 This is presumably a reference to the landowner, St. John’s College. St. John’s College exchanged the site and building, along with some others properties, for some land on Museum Road with Lincoln College in 1898.10

The School of Agricultural Science (8 Parks Road) was constructed immediately to the south of the heritage asset in 1907 to a design by Basil Champneys and this was extended in 1910. Shortly afterwards, in 1913, the University of Oxford purchased 9 Parks Road from Lincoln College.11 The building was retained as a private residence until 1924, appearing in street directories as the home of Charles James Aston, a gardener.12

The Institute of Agricultural Economics was formed in 1913 and was assigned rooms in Barnett House on Broad Street in 1914. By 1921 it had moved to join the main School of Agriculture at 8 Parks Road.13 This arrangement soon proved inadequate and plans were made for providing the Institute with its own premises. The tenant at 9 Parks Road died unexpectedly in 1924, which provided the perfect opportunity to provide the Institute with its own premises directly adjacent to the main School of Agriculture.

Plans were prepared by P. Morley Horder in 1924 for converting 9 Parks Road for the use of the Institute of Agricultural Economics (Figure 3). These plans involved alterations in the original house as well as a large extension along Parks Road. The house had originally consisted only of the north-eastern portion of the extant building, with the entrance at the southern side of the building. Morley Horder’s extension created an additional three bays down Parks Road, including the extant main entrance with its open pediment. The work was undertaken in the first half of 1925, with the internal work to the original building being left until last, whilst the previous tenant’s possessions were removed.14 The construction was conducted by Symm & Co. and paid for using a £4,000 grant from the University’s Development Fund. The staircase in the original building seems to have been removed, with a new staircase being constructed in the extension. Lavatories, further offices, a first-floor library, and a Director’s Office were also provided.

In 1925, following the extension, the Institute of Agricultural Economics moved into 9 Parks Road. At this point, 8, 9, and 10 Parks Road all had functions which were related to the School of Agriculture. The work of the Institute of Agricultural Economics expanded rapidly and even its new, expanded offices were soon insufficient for its needs. In 1930, the Institute was forced to take additional rooms at 3 Museum Road. The land behind 9 Parks Road was at that point occupied by the Radcliffe Infirmary, who used it for a laundry. The University was looking to purchase this land and, at the request of C.S. Orwin (the Director of the Institute of

9 OUA, pers. comms. 10 Lincoln College Archives, pers. com. 11 OUA, ref. UD 7/1/2-3. 12 OUA, pers. comms and ET 2/1/16/1-5. 13 OUA, ref. UC/FF/226/1. 14 OUA, ref. ET 2/1/16/1-5 and UC/FF/226/1. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 15 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Agricultural Economics), the Institute was granted a 12-month option on this area for expansion.15 P. Morley Horder prepared plans for a further two wings, extending from the rear of the original building. These were to be set at right angles, creating a courtyard behind the original building. By July 1932, Congregation had approved a grant of £2,400 for the new extension but, due to the ongoing financial crisis, only £1,200 was immediately available. This resulted in plans being scaled backwards, with only the northern wing, running westwards from the original building, being constructed.16

Figure 3. Extracts from Morley Horder’s 1924 plans. Black material represents the original building and red material represents the extension. North is at the right-hand side of the images and Parks Road is at the bottom. 3.1, top, ground-floor plan. 3.2, bottom, first-floor plan. OUA, ref. ET 2/1/16/1

15 OUA, ref. UC//FF/226/1 and AE 16/1. 16 OUA, ref. AE 16/1. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 16 Conservation Plan, August 2013 External construction on the extension was complete by November 1932, with the work being undertaken by S. Hutchins & Sons. Reasons of economy meant that certain elements of the original plans, for instance oak flooring, were omitted. As part of the work, some remodelling was undertaken in the library of the 1925 extension. This involved removing the chimney between the Library and the Director’s Office (“Mr. Orwin’s Office” in Figure 3.2, “New Library” in Figure 4), with the roof above made good (the associated fireplace on the ground floor was retained). The wall between the Library and Director’s Office was then removed, leaving an L-shaped library. The removed shelves were refitted in the former Director’s Office. The doorways to the former Director’s Office were also altered as a result of this work.

Figure 4. Probable first-floor layout of the 1932 extension, prepared from Morley Horder’s plans published in The Builder, 5th February 1932 and his 1938 extension plans. The alterations to the Library and original Director’s Office (“New Library” in plan) can be traced by comparing this image with Figure 3.2

In 1937, funds became available to complete the extension. Morley Holder had been very difficult to work with and the University Chest sought to appoint another architect for the project but in the end the Director of the Institute, C.S. Orwin, felt that it would be impossible

9 Parks Road, Oxford 17 Conservation Plan, August 2013 to appoint another designer due to Morley Holder’s participation in the previous extension.17 S. Hutchins & Sons were again employed as contractors and the work was undertaken in the first half of 1938. This two-storey (plus a small roof space with its own staircase, which was added after the initial plans were prepared) addition projected southwards from the western end of the 1932 extension. This fulfilled Morley Holder’s original 1932 scheme, which had been curtailed for budgetary reasons, though the completed wing was slightly larger than originally envisaged (the extrusion at the western end of the 1938 extension not being part of the original 1932 plan) due to the growth of the department since 1932. The 1938 extension could be accessed from the main building via the 1932 extension but also had its own main entrance from the central courtyard, which itself could be separately accessed via a side passage from Parks Road. There were plans for C.S. Orwin to personally pay for a carving over this new entrance but it is not clear if this went ahead and it is certainly not extant. There were also plans to extend the Library across the entirety of the first-floor of the Parks Road front of the building, with a new curved ceiling, but, with work proceeding on a shoe string, this does not seem to have gone ahead until the 1970s.18

Figure 5. Ground-floor plan of the 1938 extension, with north at the top of the image

17 OUA, ref. UC/FF/226/3. 18 Ibid. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 18 Conservation Plan, August 2013 In 1943, three of the ground-floor rooms in the building were requisitioned by the Ministry of Works under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939. The Ministry of Works gave up possession of the spaces in July 1946.19 In 1948 a partition was set up somewhere in the building in order to create a small room for teaching agriculture to Colonial Service Probationers, who were based nearby on South Parks Road.

Despite the two extensions constructed during the 1930s, the expanding activities of the Institute of Agricultural Economics meant that the space was soon inadequate. In 1948, the Institute contacted the University Chest to request a further extension. The financial pressures on the University at this point were immense and the Institute was placed on the list of departments seeking further accommodation. The Director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics contacted the Chest in 1951 to request that their application be moved up the list of priorities but this was refused and they remained 23rd in line for additional accommodation.20 An additional request was made in 1957 but no additional accommodation was to be found. It was only in 1971 that the Institute of Agricultural Economics merged with the Institute of Agrarian Affairs and was able to leave 9 Parks Road for more spacious accommodation at Dartington House on Little Clarendon Street.21

With the Institute of Agricultural Economics set to leave 9 Parks Road in 1971, plans were made for alternative occupants. Work was being undertaken to extend the basement of the nearby Radcliffe Science Library and it was decided to allocate 9 Parks Road to the Radcliffe Science Library on a short-term basis whilst this work was ongoing. In November and December 1970 internal alterations were undertaken in order to convert it for this purpose. Work included the insertion of several doors and the removal of a first-floor partition (that between “New Library” and “Secretary” in Figure 4. This was an external wall prior to the 1925 extension and incorporated a blocked window), involving the insertion of an RSJ, in order to enlarge the library.22 Equally, any remaining elements of the 1925 fireplace (mostly removed in 1932) were probably removed by this point, as they were certainly gone by 1974 (Figure 6). These changes extended the Library across the entire Parks Road frontage, as originally intended as part of the 1938 scheme. The portion of the Radcliffe Science Library assigned to 9 Parks Road was named the Hooke Library. It was shortly after these alterations, in 1972, that the heritage asset was designated a Grade-II-listed building.

The Hooke Library had vacated the building by 1974 and in that year the Chemical Crystallography unit of the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory moved into the building. The occupation of the Chemical Crystallography unit required some interior alterations, primarily based around the formation of laboratory spaces with fume cupboards and the associated ducting, as well as benching and sinks. The laboratory conversions were primarily in the 1930s portions of the building, though a workshop and an x-ray generator were situated in the ground-floor of the 19th-century part of the building. A brick-built plant room was

19 Ibid. 20 OUA ref. AE 18. 21 http://www.oua.ox.ac.uk/holdings/Agricultural%20Economics%20AE.pdf, accessed 19th August 2013. 22 ESA. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 19 Conservation Plan, August 2013 constructed in the courtyard to house a water pump and cooling system. The building was also completely redecorated at this point.

The small, part-rendered and flat-roofed section to the northwest of the main building was releaded in 1974. At the same time, a disused chimney stack was removed from the northern side of the building and the roofs were stripped and reslated.23 The exterior of the building was redecorated in 1984 and at that point a cracked cast-iron gutter immediately to the south of the main entrance was replaced, as was a cast-iron gutter on the southern elevation of the 1938 wing.

Figure 6. First-floor plan in 1974. Compare the extent of the Library at the bottom of the image with that in Figure 4

When the Institute of Agricultural Economics moved into 9 Parks Road in 1925, the building immediately to the south, 8 Parks Road, was occupied by the associated School of Agriculture. As such, the heating provision for the two buildings was combined, with 9 Parks Road relying for its heat on the boiler at no.8. Throughout most of the 20th century, both of these buildings continued to be inhabited by constituent departments of the University and it

23 Ibid. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 20 Conservation Plan, August 2013 was possible for this arrangement to continue; however, in 1990, the lease for 8 Parks Road reverted to its owner, St. John’s College, meaning that no.9 could not longer rely on the boiler provision from the adjacent building. As a result, a new boiler room was formed in the basement of 9 Parks Road. The piping utilised the existing chimney arrangement and eventually the basement room was fitted with damp-proofing and a window for ventilation.24 The heating system was extended into the rear extensions in 1996.

In 1992, all the slate elevations were again reroofed, reutilising the existing slates where sound.25 In the same year, a brick pier at the front of the building was reset following a vehicle collision. This appears to have been a relatively common occurrence due to the building’s location on a busy T-junction. Strangely enough, another pier had to be replaced in May 1997 because it was stolen.

The ground-floor gents and first-floor ladies lavatories were refitted in 1993. In 1994, the exterior of the building was completely redecorated, including some brick repairs, overhauling the wooden windows and replacing rotten woodwork on the pediment above the main entrance.26 In the same year, the courtyard was overhauled with the removal of an obsolete bicycle shed. This involved making good the affected brick wall and reconcreting the yard.27

St. John’s College undertook a great deal of alteration to 8 Parks Road in the 1990s, including demolishing and replacing most of its extensions in 1991. Work in 1997 required access through the passage (which is owned by St. John’s) between 8 and 9 Parks Road, necessitating the temporary dismantling of the arch at the Parks Road entrance to this alley. This did some damage to the brickwork of 9 Parks Road, quickly remedied by the reconstruction of the archway after work was completed, but also caused some damage to the interior of the office at the south-eastern corner of the building. In the same year, a doorway was cut into one of the external yard walls, presumably the rear-most yard, in order to create an escape route.

At some point before 2004, the Library space along the Parks Road frontage of the first floor was repartioned. Two partitions were fitted, one in the same location of the original 1925 partition between the Library and Director’s Office (where the fireplace was removed in 1932) and another slightly to the south of the location of a 19th-century partition (removed c.1970) in the northern part of the original house (Figure 7).

The Chemistry Research Laboratory on South Parks Road was completed in 2004 and in January of that year the Chemical Crystallography unit of Inorganic Chemistry moved to the new building. It had already been decided that the Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences Division (MPLS) would occupy the vacated building and they had in fact occupied the first floor since the summer of 2003. As the building had housed laboratories for some 30 years prior to this, substantial alteration was required in order to return the building to office use.

24 Ibid. 25 Ibid. 26 Ibid. 27 Ibid. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 21 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Fume cupboards, the associated ducting, benches, and sinks all had to be stripped out. The 1974 brick-built plant room in the courtyard was demolished. More general alterations were also carried out, including creating several new doorways and filling and plastering over several others. A wall between the ground-floor rooms directly beneath the original Library was removed, with a beam fitted above, giving this space the same proportions as the room above. There were plans for a disabled lavatory on the ground floor of the 1938 wing as part of this project but this did not go ahead. A cycle shelter was demolished and replaced with a new cycle shelter and bin store.28

In 2006, a new first-floor office was created in the 1938 wing via the removal of a partition and the blocking of a redundant doorway. Plans were made to rail off the front yard to Parks Road in 2008 but these were ultimately abandoned.

MPLS continues to occupy the building. It is hard to trace the extent original building from the Parks Road frontage, from where the original and 1925 portions read as a single phase of construction. The layout of the building continues to be largely derived from that created by Morley Horder in his 3 extensions of 1925, 1932, and 1938.

Figure 7. Extract of a modern first-floor plan of the eastern side of the building (north at the right-hand side of the image). Original walls removed c.1970 and not reinstated are highlighted in blue. Partitions constructed at some point between 1974 and 2003 are highlighted in red. The leftmost red partition represents the reinstatement of a 1925 partition removed in 1932. The leftmost blue partition was a 19th-century exterior wall

28 Planning application 03/01787/LBC. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 22 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 23 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 24 Conservation Plan, August 2013 3 SIGNIFICANCE

NPPF paragraph 128 specifies that in assessing planning applications:

‘Local planning authorities should require an applicant to provide a description of the significance of any heritage assets affected including any contribution made by their setting.’

The significance of 9 Parks Road has been publically recognised by its designation as a Grade II listed building in 1954 (see Appendix 1) and its inclusion in Oxford City Council’s designation of its Central (City and University) Conservation Area in 1971, and in its subsequent revisions in 1974, 1981, 1985, and 1998 (see Appendix 2).

3.1 Significance as part of Parks Road and the Central (City and University) Conservation Area

Figure 8. Extract from OS map showing the junction between Park and South Parks Road, orientated with north at the top of the image. Grade-I-listed buildings are highlighted in red, Grade-II*-listed buildings are highlighted in orange, and Grade- II-listed buildings are highlighted in yellow. © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited (2013). All rights reserved. (2013)

9 Parks Road is a visually simple building which forms part of the significant configuration of listed buildings at the junction of Parks Road and South Parks Road. The character of this area is that of a leafy, academic suburb; grand but far removed from the monumentality of Broad Street and the city centre. This character is emphasised by two major factors: the extensive tree cover, which softens the character of the area; and the presence of several important buildings. These structures include Keble College (1868-70) and the University

9 Parks Road, Oxford 25 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Museum (1855-60); two buildings that are very distinct from one another yet share a projected sense of academic rigour which belies the monumentality afforded by their size.

The character of the Parks Road/South Parks Road junction is itself defined by the presence of two buildings, the Radcliffe Science Library (1898-1900, extension 1934) and Rhodes House (1928). These building dominate the character of the western end of South Parks Road, whilst smaller buildings such as 8 and 9 Parks Road and 1 and 2 South Parks Road, contribute to this overall setting. Like 1 and 2 South Parks Road, 9 Parks Road stands as a vestigial element of the previously residential character of the area (Figure 9); however, its façade has been far more heavily altered and the extant frontage, despite being residential in character, is actually a product of its 20th-century institutional history.

When approaching along Parks Road from the north, 9 Parks Road forms part of a group with nos.8 and 10 (Figure 10.1). These are minor in scale and impact to Keble College and the University Museum rising on either side but, along with the Radcliffe Science Library extension, are important in providing an appropriate setting for these edifices. A similar effect is achieved when approaching from the east and south, with the domestic scale of 9, 10, and to a lesser extent 8 Parks Road providing an effective foil to the monumentality of Rhodes House, the University Museum, Keble College and the Radcliffe Science Library. 9 Parks Road is the most modest building in the small block of three at this junction, being lower than the buildings to either side, but its white-painted façade does make it stand out against the fair-faced brick and stone all around.

Figure 9. Extract of 1878 OS map showing residential building and institutional buildings of a residential character. Extant buildings are highlighted in red. Demolished buildings are highlighted in blue. North is at the top of the image © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited (2013). All rights reserved. (2013)

9 Parks Road, Oxford 26 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Figure 10. 10.1, top left, the building viewed from Parks Road to the north. 10.2, top right, the building viewed from Parks Road to the south. 10.3, bottom left, the building viewed from South Parks Road to the east. 10.4, bottom right, the building looking westwards from the corner of Parks Road and South Parks Road

3.2 Architectural Significance

3.2.1 External Elevations

The primary façade of 9 Parks Road presents a pleasant, neo-Georgian domestic character. This is interesting as the current façade actually dates from the building’s earliest institutional use and is not a result of its previous domestic function. The northernmost three bays represent the eastern elevation of the original 19th-century house. This was originally a side elevation, with the main entrance probably being on the southern side of the house. The southernmost three bays were constructed as part of the building’s conversion for the Institute of Agricultural Economics in 1925. This alteration included the construction of a new main entrance aligned towards Parks Road. The southern bays were clearly designed to mimic those to the north and the central, pedimented doorway bounded on either side by cast iron drainpipes is designed to engender a sense of symmetry; something which is not quite achieved because the constraints of the site meant that only two bays could be constructed to the south of the door as opposed to the original three bays remaining to the north (Figure

9 Parks Road, Oxford 27 Conservation Plan, August 2013 10.4). It is unclear whether the building was originally painted though it would seem probable that the paint scheme was first introduced in 1925 (the building was certainly painted prior to 1972 when the list description was written) in order to mask the transition in the eastern elevation between the original building and the first extension.

The simple, neo-Georgian façade is a competent design which makes good use of the site, though it does feel somewhat incongruous, though certainly not uniquely so, with the preponderance of Gothic in the surrounding area. The open pediment is an attractive feature which accents the façade, as do the first-floor shutters. 9 Parks Road is the only use of painted brickwork in an area otherwise dominated by fair-faced brick and stone buildings. The paint scheme is used on the original and 1925 elements of the building but does not extend to the 1930s extensions. Chimneys have been removed from the original building and the 1925 extension throughout their histories but two original chimneys remain. The 1930s portions retain their chimneys.

The rear portions of the building are constructed in fair-faced red brick with stone dressings and lintels and are perfectly pleasant, though of no great significance. The courtyard is a peaceful and attractive space which benefits greatly from the surrounding red-brick elevations. It has benefitted from the 2004 removal of the 1974 plant room. The joins between the 4 different phases of construction can clearly be traced in the brickwork of the rear courtyard.

3.2.2 Internal Spaces

The interior spaces of the building are of low to moderate significance. Most of the areas operate as modern office spaces. All fireplaces are covered but cornice moulding and dado rails have been retained in most areas. Sash windows and wooden window cases have been retained throughout. The staircases in the 1925 and 1938 extensions have attractive joinery including simple art deco banister screens (Figure 11). These match in both staircases and are testament to the use of the same architect, P. Morley Horder, on both extensions. Morley Horder’s work on the rest of the building is simple and workmanlike, without stylistic pretensions.

The former library on the first floor is the most significant internal space and retains its 1925 shelving. This includes wooden pilasters and a Figure 11. Joinery on the staircase in the cornice running around the entire room. The 1925 extension vaulted ceiling in this space lends the room

9 Parks Road, Oxford 28 Conservation Plan, August 2013 additional stature.

3.3 Archaeological Significance

The heritage asset is located in an area of some archaeological significance. There was intensive Roman and prehistoric rural occupation to the west of Parks Road: The construction of the Chemistry Research Laboratory on South Parks Road in 2001-4 revealed Neolithic/Bronze Age ditches and pitches, as well as a Roman field boundary and inhumation.29

Excavation on the adjacent site of 8 Parks Road in 1991 showed evidence of 17th-century gravel quarrying. There is a possibility that the city’s Civil War defences stretched as far as this site (and there was certainly a mound stretching along the southern side of South Parks Road into the early 20th century) but there is no definitive proof for this.30 Mediaeval pottery was found in the vicinity during the construction of 8 Parks Road in 1906-8.31

3.4 Historical Significance

9 Parks Road has some association value with the work of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, who had an office in the building from 1974 to her retirement in 1977, as part of the Chemical Crystallography Department. Hodgkin received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1964 and her pioneering work with chemical crystallography revealed the structures of insulin, vitamin

B12, and penicillin.

3.5 Functional Significance

The heritage asset provides office and meeting space for the MPLS divisional administration. The building provides several architecturally-neutral spaces of differing sizes that are well suited to office use. The location of the building on the edge of the University Science Area makes it particularly suited to the needs of MPLS. The use of the building by MPLS is recent and of little relation to its significance. Except for the small original portion of the building, all other parts of the structure were built and designed specifically for office, teaching, and library usage and so such usage is certainly in keeping with the character of the heritage asset.

29 Bradley, P., Charles, B., Hardy, A., and Poore, D., ‘Prehistoric and Roman activity and a Civil War Ditch: excavations at the Chemistry Research Laboratory, 2-4 South Parks Road, Oxford’ in Oxoniensia LXX (2005) 141-151. 30 Durham, B., and Bell, C., ‘Oxford Former Department of Rural Economy, Parks Road’ in South Midlands Archaeology 23 (1993) 74; Munby, J., ‘Parks Road’ in Oxoniensia 36 (1971) 111. 31 Salter, H.E., and Lobel, M.D., (eds.), History of the County of Oxford: Vol. 3: The University of Oxford (London, 1954) 59. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 29 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 30 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 31 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 32 Conservation Plan, August 2013 4 VULNERABILITIES

The ability of 9 Parks Road to fulfil a contemporary function

9 Parks Road was constructed as a private house, the remains of which are preserved on the north-eastern portion of the extant building. Morley Horder’s extensions did not stray greatly from the domestic model provided by the original house, providing several architecturally- neutral spaces on a similar scale. Much of the original interior character of the building was probably affected by the conversion of the rear rooms into laboratory spaces in 1974 and their subsequent conversion back to offices in 2004. The current use of the building, as offices and meeting spaces, is much as envisaged when the building was first extended in 1925 and does not affect the character of the heritage asset.

The current function is not the only possible usage of the heritage asset, but it is important that it should retain a modern function. The building has only retained its significant character because it has remained in use and has been repaired and cared for.

The building is aesthetically significant but it is by no means a static monument. By remaining in use, the upkeep and conservation of the heritage asset is funded and its continued existence and significance ensured. Under the current usage, the significance is not threatened, and its listed status ensures that any further alterations operate within the constraints of an accepted understanding of the building’s significance as a heritage asset.

4.1 Accessibility

The ability of 9 Parks Road to be accessed and enjoyed by anyone who has a legitimate right to use the building is important to its significance. The significance of the heritage asset is lessened if any person who wishes to legitimately use and enjoy the building is hampered in doing so by inadequate access provision.

The accessibility of 9 Parks Road is limited by its original design. There is no level access to the main entrance, which has two steps, though a portable ramp is available. There is no wheelchair access to the upper floors, which are accessed by staircases with handrails. The lavatories in the 1925 portion of the building require the navigation of stairs in order to access them. There is no accessible lavatory. There is level access to the yard but this is via a number-locked door, the keypad for which is set at shoulder height.

It is unfortunate that all users cannot easily enter the building through the same point and move freely through the building without disadvantage. This situation is a result of the original design of the building. Whilst some adjustments can be made, it is unlikely that the building could be brought up to acceptable accessibility standards with reasonable adjustments that would not affect its significance as a heritage asset, for instance, it does not seem possible that a ramp could be fitted without adversely affecting the appearance of the main entrance.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 33 Conservation Plan, August 2013 4.2 Maintenance

4.2.1 External elevations and setting

The external elevations are the most significant features of the heritage asset, with the eastern elevation to Parks Road forming an important constituent element of the configuration of listed buildings along this part of Parks Road and the junction with South Parks Road. This eastern elevation constitutes the public face of the building, which is obscured on all other sides. This is an attractive elevation of some interest. Its current form dates from 1925 and it has not been substantially altered since then. The corn wreath over the main doorway originally read ‘Agricultural Economics Research Institute’ and now reads ‘9 Parks Road’ (Figure 12.1). This was either introduced when the entrance was created in 1925 or as part of the work on the 1932 extension, as it appeared in The Builder in that year.32 The main elevation is obscured by two large plants which do not detract greatly from the building (Figure 12.2). The paint and brickwork are generally in a clean and decent state, though there is a large crack on the northern part of the façade. The windows and the pediment are attractive features which were heavily repaired in 1994.

Whilst the original portion of no.9 certainly predates no.8 and may predate no.10, the current configuration postdates the surrounding buildings, with the extent of the Parks Road frontage being dictated by the presence of the surrounding buildings.

The rear elevations are of less significance but are some aesthetic value. The rear yard has been cared for and is a pleasant space which benefits greatly from the surrounding red-brick elevations (Figure 12.3).

The roof and chimneys are also central features in the external impact of the building. These have been repaired on several occasions and two chimneys have been removed: the chimney in the 1925 extension was removed in 1932 and the original northern chimney was removed in 1974. The building has been reroofed on several occasions including in 1974 and 1992.

The external features of the building have aged well due to frequent repairs and a good maintenance regime. The white paint on the main façade, probably first introduced in 1925, does offer some protection but the external features of the heritage asset remain open to weathering and erosion, potential vandalism, and pollution; damage which could detract from their significance in the future.

The landscape setting of the building has changed greatly since the construction of the first phase in the 19th century, which would have stood in a semi-rural environment. By the time the building reached it modern form in the 1920s and 30s, the development of the nearby Science Area was well underway. The design of the front garden must date from at least the extension of the building along Parks Road in 1925. The dwarf wall was certainly in place by

32 The Builder 5th February 1932, 263. 9 Parks Road, Oxford 34 Conservation Plan, August 2013 1997 and presumably for a significant period of time before this. The remains of iron posts attest the dwarf wall previously supported railings around the front yard. Consideration could be given to improving the setting of the gravelled yard, though its narrow nature and low wall, which can make it appear almost as a shared space with the street, do make this difficult (Figure 12.1). The central courtyard underwent extensive improvement in 2004 and is a pleasant addition to the setting.

Figure 12. 12.1, left, main entrance from Parks Road. 12.2, centre, looking southwards along the Parks Road frontage. 12.3, right, the rear courtyard 4.2.2 Internal Spaces

The building contains some internal features of aesthetic and illustrative value. There are several examples of original joinery most notably the 1925 and 1938 staircases. The sash windows and window cases throughout have been restored and contribute substantial aesthetic value to the building (e.g. Figure 13.3). Equally, dado rails, skirting boards, and cornice detailing have been retained in several spaces. Fitted corner shelves are present in some offices and the fitted bookshelves (with pilasters and attached cornice) in the former library are of particular interest. The plaster barrel-vaulted ceiling in the first-floor corridor and the former library are of some interest, contrasting with the rest of the interior.

Surface-mounted trunking is prevalent in the building and this does detract from the appearance of some spaces, for instance the ground-floor conference room. In many cases, it is clear where later partitioning has been applied, for instance between the former library and the adjacent office. The partition along the northern wall of the former library, where the fitted shelves were removed in 1932, is rather crude and does contrast with the fitted shelving around the rest of the room (Figure 13.2).

The building is decorated throughout in a bland institutional palette, which reflects its usage. The light palette, combined with the copious number of windows, successfully keeps the interior of the building bright.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 35 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Figure 13. 13.1, top left, the Library c.1925, published in the The Builder 5th February 1932. 13.2, top right, the same space in 2013, note the partition on the left-hand side, where fitted shelving was formerly located. This shelving was removed in 1932 when the space was opened up and it was repartitioned at some point between 1974 and 2004. 13.3, bottom left, the sash window in the ground-floor conference room. 13.4, bottom right, the railing on the first-floor landing of the 1938 extension

9 Parks Road, Oxford 36 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 37 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 38 Conservation Plan, August 2013 5 CONSERVATION POLICY

Having established the significance of 9 Parks Road as a heritage asset, and having identified ways in which the significance of 9 Parks Road is vulnerable to harm, it is necessary to recommend policies to reduce the probability of such harm occurring, and thereby conserve the significance of the site. In essence, these policies set out parameters for managing the fabric of the building.

The Conservation Plan is intended as an active tool for the regular maintenance and long- term management of 9 Parks Road. It needs to be reviewed regularly, and revised as appropriate to take into account of additional knowledge and changing priorities. Through a process of regular review it should continue to act as a useful resource.

5.1 9 Parks Road’s continued use in a contemporary function is important to its continued significance. Permit, in line with NPPF paragraphs 131, 132, 133, and 134, alterations intended to facilitate its continued use in this way

9 Parks Road status as a well-utilised building with a contemporary function is important to its continued maintenance and significance; however, limited alterations may be required to improve its performance in this area and encourage wider enjoyment of the building. If alteration is required in the future it should be permitted with the following provisos:

 Any alterations must be sympathetic to 9 Parks Road’s significance as a heritage asset and, in line with NPPF paragraph 134, any proposals that involve ‘less than substantial harm to the significance’ should deliver ‘substantial public benefits.’ In line with NPPF paragraph 132, any proposals that involve ‘substantial harm or loss’ should be ‘exceptional.’

 Any changes should: ‘…preserve those elements of the setting that make a positive contribution to or better reveal the significance of the asset’ (NPPF paragraph 137).

5.1.1 In order to ensure that 9 Parks Road can operate to modern standards, and that its significance can be maintained by making access as wide as possible, special concern should be applied to ensuring that disabled access is adequate

Ensuring that the heritage asset can be enjoyed as widely as possible will have a major positive impact on its significance. As noted in Section 4.1, access provision remains far from an ideal standard, with no disabled access at all to the first floor and no accessible lavatories. This is limited by the original design of the building but access will remain a concern in any plans developed for the site and a vigorous effort should be made to improve access to the site in any future plans, with the University seeking to exceed its statutory obligations and always viewing this as part of an ongoing process.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 39 Conservation Plan, August 2013 5.2 Note that 9 Parks Road is a Grade II listed building and ensure that appropriate consents are obtained for any alteration works to the interior or exterior of the building

In order to ensure the heritage asset’s significance, alterations may be required in the future, and due to the listed status of the building even minor routine repairs in significant spaces may need consent. Caution should be applied in order to ensure that any statutory duties are fulfilled. In cases of doubt Estates Services should be contacted in the first instance, and if necessary they will refer enquiries on to Oxford City Council.

5.3 Ensure proper consultation in advance of any work to the building with the Local Authority Conservation Officer (through Estates Services) and any other interested parties

It is important to guarantee that the best advice is obtained at an early stage of any proposal to alter any part of the building in order to ensure that the significance of the building is respected.

5.4 Refer to this Conservation Plan when considering repairs or alterations in any space

The Conservation Plan gives an overview of which aspects of the building are significant or vulnerable. Where original or significant material is extant, repairs should be carried out using the same materials and techniques and should not affect the significance of the asset without providing substantial public benefits in line with NPPF paragraph 134.

5.5 Any alterations or development must respect the character of Parks Road and South Parks Road, and 9 Parks Road’s close proximity to several listed buildings (e.g. 8 Parks Road, the walls of St. John’s College Fellows’ Garden, Rhodes House, and the Radcliffe Science Library) as well as its close proximity to undesignated heritage assets (e.g. 10 Parks Road)

9 Parks Road’s high profile location at the junction of Parks Road and South Parks Road and its rôle as a constituent member of a highly-significant group of listed buildings is central to its significance.

5.6 Conservation of specific factors contributing to overall significance

9 Parks Road possesses various external and internal features of some significance (Section 3.1 and 3.2). An effort should be made to identify and conserve original or significant architectural features and keep them in use in line with Section 5.1; however, it is accepted that all materials have a natural lifespan and some degree of change is permitted to keep the building safe, usable, and generally fit for function. Some materials will have a very long life expectancy if given routine maintenance; others are impermanent and may need periodic replacement. Within the framework of understanding and valuing what is present in the building, a degree of ongoing change is inevitable.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 40 Conservation Plan, August 2013 5.6.1 Any alterations to be made to the external elevations will respect their significance and the contribution they make to the setting

The exterior elevations of 9 Parks Road are amongst its most significant features, especially the eastern elevation to Parks Road. The original building is largely untraceable from this façade but it remains largely unchanged from when the current scheme was first enacted in 1925. The rear elevations have benefited from the 2004 improvements in the courtyard. They are otherwise in a clean and sound state.

If any alterations to the external elevations are considered these should be undertaken with a full understanding of and respect for their character and the impact they make on the surrounding area, in line with Section 5.1, 5.1.1 and 5.5.

5.6.2 Any alterations to be made to the interior spaces will respect the significance of both the individual elements and the building as a whole

The interior spaces of the building contain various significant elements, such as historic joinery. Original items such as sash windows and their settings, banisters, and staircases contribute to the character of the building and should be retained. The most significant internal space is the former library on the first floor. The configuration of this space should be maintained.

Any internal alterations planned in the future should only be undertaken with a full understanding of and respect for the character of the internal spaces in line with Section 5.1 and 5.1.1.

5.7 In conformity with NPPF paragraph 110, efforts should be made to ensure that 9 Parks Road’s contribution to climate change is as minimal as is feasible for a building of its age, size, materials, and use. Any proposals for alterations should assess the feasibility of incorporating low and zero carbon technologies

Ensuring that the building is sustainable will be crucial to its long-term survival and significance. As stated in NPPF paragraph 110, development should seek to ‘minimise pollution and other adverse effects on the local and natural environment.’

5.8 If during any subsequent renovations or alterations any excavation work is carried out beneath 9 Parks Road, an archaeological assessment will be made of the potential for significant finds, and if appropriate an archaeologist will be given a watching brief as excavation takes place

It is possible that there is significant archaeological material around or beneath 9 Parks Road (see Section 3.3). Should any excavation work be carried out in this area, an assessment of the archaeological potential should be made. This should include at least a desk-based assessment, but possibly geophysics and trial trenching. A watching brief will almost certainly be required for any excavation.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 41 Conservation Plan, August 2013 5.9 A good practice of routine recording, investigation, and maintenance will be enacted and sustained. Such an approach will minimise the need for larger repairs or other interventions and will usually represent the most economical way of maintaining an asset

5.9.1 Estates Services (or its agents) will ensure that a senior member of staff has responsibility for the administration and recording of a routine maintenance programme for the building

All buildings need to routinely be maintained if they are to stay in good condition. This requires a detailed maintenance programme and, critically, someone who is responsible for ensuring that routine operations are carried out. A proper record of the repair and maintenance work in a maintenance log is a useful management tool. Such information will be recorded in the estates management software package Planon.

5.9.2 The Conservation Plan will be circulated to all senior staff who work in 9 Parks Road and to all other members of the University who have responsibility for the building

The value of the heritage asset needs to be appreciated by all senior staff managing or working in the building. Only in this way will the heritage asset be properly treated, repaired, and maintained.

5.9.3 The Conservation Plan will be made available to Oxford City Council, English Heritage, and any other party with a legitimate interest in the building

The Conservation Plan is intended to be a useful document to inform all parties with a legitimate interest in the building.

5.10 The Conservation Plan will be reviewed and updated from time to time as work is carried out on the building or as circumstances change. The recommendations should be reviewed at least at five-yearly intervals

Policy changes, building alterations, or other changes of circumstance, will affect the conservation duties and requirements of the building. The policy recommendations in the Conservation Plan will inform the future of the building and should be a useful tool for people carrying out maintenance work or where more significant alterations are being considered. The recommendations need to be kept up to date if they are to remain relevant.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 42 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 43 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 44 Conservation Plan, August 2013 6 BIBLIOGRAPHY

6.1 Government Reports and Guidance

 The Department for Communities and Local Government, National Planning Policy Framework (March, 2012).

 Oxford City Council, The Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016 (November 2005).

 Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

 Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

6.2 Planning Applications and Supporting Documents

 Planning applications available from http://public.oxford.gov.uk/online- applications/propertyDetails.do?activeTab=relatedCases&keyVal=001BX4MFLI000, accessed 29th August 2013.

6.3 Books and Articles

 Bradley, P., Charles, B., Hardy, A., and Poore, D., ‘Prehistoric and Roman activity and a Civil War Ditch: excavations at the Chemistry Research Laboratory, 2-4 South Parks Road, Oxford’ in Oxoniensia LXX (2005) 141-202.

 Durham, B., and Bell, C., ‘Oxford Former Department of Rural Economy, Parks Road’ in South Midlands Archaeology 23 (1993) 74.

 Hibbert, C., The Encyclopaedia of Oxford (London, 1988).

 Jackson’s Oxford Journal, 16th December 1871.

 Munby, J., ‘Parks Road’ in Oxoniensia 36 (1971) 111.

 Pevsner, N., and Sherwood, J., Buildings of England: Oxfordshire (Harmondsworth, 1974).

 Saint, A., “Three Oxford Architects” in Oxoniensia XXXV (1960) 53-102.

 Salter, H.E., and Lobel, M.D., (eds.), History of the County of Oxford: Vol. 3: The University of Oxford (London, 1954).

 The Builder 5th February 1932.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 45 Conservation Plan, August 2013 6.4 Other Documents

 Historic plans and documents courtesy of Oxford University Archives, references: UD 7/1/2-3; UC/FF/226/1-4; UR 6/CHE/17; UR 6/RE/1, 1B, 1C, and 2; ET 2/1/16/1-4AE 16/1-3; AE 17; and AE 18.

 Further historic plans and documents courtesy of Estates Services archives, reference: 193.

 Further historical lease and conveyance documents courtesy of Lincoln College Archives and St. John’s College Archives.

 Listed building descriptions courtesy of English Heritage (see Section 6.5).

6.5 Websites

 Digimap (OS Maps): http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/, accessed 30th August 2013.

 English Heritage Listed Buildings Online (listed building descriptions): http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/, accessed 30th August 2013.

 Estates Services Conservation Management Plans: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/estates/conservation/conservationmanagementplans/, accessed 30th August 2013.

 Google Maps: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl, accessed 30th August 2013.

 Oxford City Council: http://public.oxford.gov.uk/online-applications/, accessed 30th August 2013.

 Oxford University Archives: http://www.oua.ox.ac.uk/holdings/Agricultural%20Economics%20AE.pdf, accessed 30th August 2013.

 Oxford Urban Archaeological Database: http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archsearch/, accessed 30th August 2013.

6.7 Image Credits

 Cover and chapter covers: Photographs by author for Estates Services.

 Figure 1: Adapted by author from Google Maps (see Section 6.6).

 Figure 2: Adapted by author from 1878 OS map © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited (2013). All rights reserved. (2013).

9 Parks Road, Oxford 46 Conservation Plan, August 2013  Figure 3: Morley Horder’s 1924 plans, OUA ref. ET 2/1/16/1.

 Figure 4: Adapted by author from Morley Horder’s plans published in The Builder 5th February 1932, 263.

 Figure 5: Morley Horder’s 1938 plans, OUA ref. AE 16/2-3.

 Figure 6: Adapted by author from plan in planning application 74/00391/A_H.

 Figure 7: Adapted by author from Estates Services record plan.

 Figure 8: Adapted by author from modern OS map © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited (2013). All rights reserved. (2013).

 Figure 9: Adapted by author from 1878 OS map © Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Limited (2013). All rights reserved. (2013).

 Figure 10-12: Photographs by author for Estates Services.

 Figure 13: Photographs by author for Estates Services except Figure 13.1 which is from The Builder 5th February 1932, 263.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 47 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 48 Conservation Plan, August 2013 9 Parks Road, Oxford 49 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 50 Conservation Plan, August 2013 7 APPENDICES

Appendix 1 Listed building description List Entry Summary

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Name: AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

List Entry Number: 1081516

Location

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, PARKS ROAD

The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County: Oxfordshire District: Oxford District Type: District Authority Parish:

National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.

Grade: II

Date first listed: 28-Jun-1972

Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.

Legacy System Information

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System: LBS

UID: 245730

Asset Groupings

9 Parks Road, Oxford 51 Conservation Plan, August 2013 This List entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.

List Entry Description

Summary of Building

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Reasons for Designation

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

PARKS ROAD 1. 1485 (West Side) Agricultural Research Institute SP 5106 NW 5/800 II 2. 1913. By P Morley Horder. The three right-hand bays are early Cl9 the rest built to match. Painted brick. 2 storeys, 6 windows, sashes with glazing bars; external shutters on the upper floor. 6-panel door in place of 3rd window from the left; surround with broken pediment in the C18 style. Hipped slate roof.

Listing NGR: SP5140906813

Selected Sources

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 52 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Map

National Grid Reference: SP 51409 06813

The below map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1081516.pdf

© Crown Copyright and database right 2012. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100019088. © British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2011. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.

This copy shows the entry on 28-Aug-2013 at 12:46:39.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 53 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 54 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Appendix 2 Conservation Area Description

Central Conservation Area, No. 5

9 Parks Road, Oxford 55 Conservation Plan, August 2013 The historic centre of Oxford forms one of the masterpieces of European architectural heritage. It is also a major regional commercial centre. Many of its historic buildings still function for the purpose for which they were built, and provide accommodation for the University of Oxford and its colleges.

From small beginnings as a settlement in the Saxon period, Oxford grew by the 11th century into one of the largest towns in England and a major trade centre. The Norman conquest brought the construction of the Castle and the establishment of major religious houses. The infant University arose in the 12th century and gradually grew into a major force in the city's life. The Saxons’ rigid street layout and the fixed line of the 13th century defensive walls, together with the floodable river valleys, largely determined the plan of the historic centre as it is today. The gentle curve of the High Street, the great market place of St Giles and the older churches, together with the post-medieval timber-framed houses, belong to the town rather than the gown.

The University as it expanded, colonised the eastern half of the town with colleges and halls, building quadrangles of medieval and post-medieval gothic buildings, both within and without the walled town. The growth of the University's central institutions is well shown by the magnificent group of buildings situated between Broad Street and St Mary's Church. This group began in the 15th century with the building of the Divinity School and the Duke Humfrey's Library, a nucleus which expanded in the 17th century with the addition of the Schools’ Quadrangle, Convocation House and Sheldonian Theatre. The group was further extended in the 18th century by the addition of the Old Clarendon Building and Radcliffe Camera to form a sequence of buildings and spaces of the highest architectural and historic interest, that today form the visual heart of the conservation area. Aspects of Oxford's 19th and 20th century change and growth may be illustrated by the considerable additions made to University and College buildings in Victorian and recent times, by the vigorous commercial and shopping centre, and by the welcome fact that the presence of the University ensures that many upper floors of buildings in the conservation area are in use for residential purposes, rather than unoccupied as in some historic towns.

Thomas Sharp, in his report to the City Council, published in 1948 as Oxford Replanned, set out and defined Oxford's special physical and architectural character and stressed its virtues and problems in a 20th century context. The Council, in its Review of the Development Plan, approved in 1967, approved much of the central area as an area of great historic value, and since 1962 the Council has protected the prospect of the city's unique skyline with its high buildings policy. The complementary views out of the city to its open country background have been similarly protected by the Green Belt and other policies.

The Council designated a large part of the central area as a conservation area in 1971. An extension taking in the Folly Bridge riverside was designated on 28th May 1974, a second extension covering part of Walton Street, Fisher Row and lower St

9 Parks Road, Oxford 56 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Aldate’s was designated on 23rd February 1981, while a third covering Cornmarket and Queen Street was designated on 29th April 1985. On 9th December 1998, a fourth extension was made to the conservation area taking in part of the St Thomas' area, the University Observatory adjacent to University Parks and Magdalen College School playing field.

9 Parks Road, Oxford 57 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 58 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Appendix 3 Chronology of 9 Parks Road

Date Event Reference 1860 The first phase of 9 Parks Road appears in the conveyance plans of the ESA adjacent 10 Parks Road 1878 The first phases of 9 Parks Road is visible on the OS map for Oxford 1878 OS Map 1886 Rooms were taken for a Mr. Hill at Museum Cottage OUA UC/FF/60/2/3 and web.prm.ox.ac .uk/sma/index. php/articles/art icles- index/436- prehistory-of- the-pitt-rivers- museum, accessed 7th August 2013 1893 9 Parks Road appears in street directories as St. John’s Cottage, OUA pers. occupied by William Stone comm. 1898 Lincoln College received the site of 9 Parks Road, and other property, Lincoln in an exchange with St. John’s College for land on Museum Road College Archives pers. comm. 1913 9 Parks Road is purchased, listed as “Museum Cottage” from Lincoln OUA UD College 7/1/2-3 1913-24 9 Parks Road is occupied by Charles James Aston, a gardener OUA pers. comm. 1914 The Institute for Research in Agricultural Economics is assigned OUA rooms in Barnett House on Broad Street UC/FF/226/1 1921 The Institute for Research in Agricultural Economics has regained the OUA main School of Rural Economy at 8 Parks Road UC/FF/226/1 1924 Plans are drawn up by P. Morley Horder for the extension of Museum OUA ET Cottage (9 Parks Road) southwards along Parks Road for its 2/1/16/1-5 and occupation by the Institute of Agricultural Economics, following the UC/FF/226/1. unexpected death of its previous tenant. April- The building is extended southwards along Parks Road to Morley OUA ET December Horder’s plans. This work involves constructing 3 of the 6 bays now 2/1/16/1-5, 1925 visible on the northern elevation, including the main doorway. The UC/FF/226/1 extension is paid for by £4,000 from the University’s Development and AE 7 Fund 1925 The Institute of Agricultural Economics moves to 9 Parks Road http://www.ou (“Museum Cottage”) a.ox.ac.uk/hol dings/Agricult ural%20Econo mics%20AE.p df, accessed 7th August 2013

9 Parks Road, Oxford 59 Conservation Plan, August 2013 1931-2 By this point the Institute of Agricultural Economics has outgrown its OUA accommodation at 9 Parks Road and its 1925 extension. The Institute UC/FF/226/1 leased additional rooms at 3 Parks Road in 1930. In March 1931 the and AE 16/1 Institute asked the Curators of the University Chest for an option on the use of the land behind their site (occupied by the Radcliffe Infirmary as a laundry), which the Chest were considering purchasing 1932 The first part (the northern wing) of the western extension is OUA constructed by S. Hutchins & Sons to plans by P. Morley Horder. It UC/FF/226/3 had originally been planned to construct both wings but a poor financial climate made this impossible and various items, like oak flooring, had to be left off. The library in the 1925 extension is also enlarged as part of this project. This involves removing the chimney and chimney breast between the library and the Director’s Office and making good the affected area of roof 1938 The western wing of the extension is constructed by S. Hutchins & OUA Sons to plans by P. Morley Horder UC/FF/226/3 1943 The Ministry of Works requisitions 3 rooms on the ground floor under OUA the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939 UC/FF/226/3 1948 The Agricultural Economics Research Institute applies to the OUA University Chest for further accommodation UC/FF/226/3 1948 A partition is set up in the building in order to provide a small room OUA for the teaching agriculture to Colonial service Probationers UC/FF/226/3 1951 Following its 1948 request, the Institute requests to be moved up the OUA AE 18 list of priorities for receiving new accommodation but this is refused 1957 The Institute again requests additional accommodation OUA AE 18 November- Work is undertaken to convert the building for occupation by the ESA December Radcliffe Science Library. Work includes removing a first-floor 1970 dividing wall (requiring the insertion of a RSJ) and inserting various doors 1971 The Institute of Agricultural Economics moves out of 9 Parks Road, http://www.ou merging with the Institute of Agrarian Affairs at Dartington House on a.ox.ac.uk/hol Little Clarendon Street dings/Agricult ural%20Econo mics%20AE.p df, accessed 7th August 2013 1972 Mr. Ball of Lincoln College has some kind of arrangement to use 9 OUA pers. Parks Road in exchange for maintaining the garden. There is no hint as comm. to what his use of the building might entail, and it is probably only very short term, as it is occupied by Radcliffe Science Library in this same year 1973 Slating repairs are undertaken to the northern side of the building ESA 1974 The Chemical Crystallography unit of the Inorganic Chemistry ESA Laboratory move into the building. This requires some work in the creation of laboratories and general redecoration throughout 1974 A disused chimney stack is removed from the northern side of the ESA, Planning building. The building’s roofs are completely stripped and reslated, application with lead repairs carried out on a small flat-roofed section to the 74/00391 northwest of the main building. A brick-built plant room is constructed 9 Parks Road, Oxford 60 Conservation Plan, August 2013 in the courtyard to house a water pump and cooling system 1984 A cracked rainwater pipe to the left-hand side of the main entrance is ESA replaced, a cast-iron gutter on the south elevation of the rear wing is replaced, and external redecoration is undertaken 1990 The lease to 8 Parks Road reverts to St. John’s College. 9 Parks Road ESA had previously relied on the boiler and heating system from no.8, a holdover from their shared history as the School of Rural Economy, and so a new boiler room is created in the basement of no.9, with piping utilising the existing chimney arrangement. The affected basement room is consequently damp-proofed and fitted with a window for ventilation Summer 1991 The extensions at the rear of 8 Parks Road are demolished ESA 1991 Planning permission is granted for constructing 20 cycle holders Planning application 91/01151/NF 1992 All the slate elevations of 9 Parks Road are reroofed, reusing the ESA existing slates where sound 1992 A brick pier at the front entrance is reset following a vehicle collision ESA 1993 The ground-floor gents and first-floor ladies lavatories are refitted ESA 1994 Complete exterior redecoration undertaken, wooden windows ESA overhauled, and rotten woodwork on entrance portico repaired 1994 An obsolete bicycle shed was removed from the yard of the building ESA and this involved some making good to the brick wall the shed had been connected to and concreting over the yard 1994 Brick repairs are undertaken elsewhere on the building ESA Summer 1996 The heating system is extended into the rear extensions of the building ESA May 1997 A stone pier beside the front entrance is stolen and replaced ESA September The arch on Parks Road between 8 and 9 Parks Road is dismantled and ESA 1997 later replaced as part of works to 8 Parks Road. This causes some damage to the south-eastern corner of 9 Parks Road October 1997 A doorway is cut into one of the external yard walls, presumably the ESA rear-most yard though it could be to the northern wall, in order to create an escape route December Another vehicle collision damages the low boundary wall at the front ESA 1997 of the building January 2004 Inorganic Chemistry leave the building in favour of the Chemistry ESA Research Laboratory January- The building is refurbished and redecorated in order to house MPS ESA March 2004 divisional offices (they had already occupied the first floor in the summer of 2003). This work including filling and plastering some door openings, creating some new door openings, fitting beams etc. Fume cupboards, benches, sinks etc. related to the use of the building by Inorganic Chemistry are also removed. A brick-built plant room is removed from the courtyard 2006 Listed building consent is granted for the insertion of a partition, the Planning re-opening of a blocked doorway and the formation of a new doorway application in order to create an office at first-floor level 06/02308/LBC

9 Parks Road, Oxford 61 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 62 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Appendix 4 Checklist of Significant Features

This checklist is intended for the use of those working or planning work on the site or buildings. It highlights features of architectural significance within 9 Parks Road; these may be original features or new additions that nevertheless contribute positively to the character of the building. As this is a Grade-II-listed building any repair or alteration work to factors that contribute to the significance of the building will require listed building consent in order to avoid prosecution under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act, 1990. If planned work will likely affect any of the aspects featured in the list below advice should immediately be sought from the Building Conservation Team at Estates Services.

The checklist lists both general significant features that affect the building as a whole and which should be held in mind if working in any space, and specific features of particular significance that should receive special regard if working in these particular spaces. The Further Information column refers to the relevant page reference in the Conservation Plan proper.

9 Parks Road, Building #193

SIGNIFICANT FEATURE  Further Information

General:

External elevations, chimneys, and roof p.15-17, 21, 25-28, 34-35, and 40-41 Windows throughout p.21, 28, 34-35, and 41 Joinery and plaster moulding throughout p.18, 28, 35, and 41 Staircases p.18, 28, 35, and 41

Specific Features:

External Elevations -Brickwork throughout, including painted eastern p.15, 17, 21, 25-28, 34-35, 40-41 façade -Doorway and pediment p.15, 17, 21, 25-28, 34-35, 40-41 -Shutters and windows p.15, 17, 21, 25-28, 34-35, 40-41 -Roof tiles and chimneys p.15, 17, 21, 25-28, 34-35, 40-41

Internal Spaces -Historic doors and doorcases throughout p.18, 28, 35, and 41 -Windows and settings throughout p.21, 28, 34-35, 41 -Staircase and associated joinery in 1925 wing p.18, 28, 35, and 41 -Staircase and associated joinery in 1938 wing p.18, 28, 35, and 41 -Attic staircase in 1938 wing p.18, 28 , 35, and 41 -Plaster ceilings and cornices p.18, 28, 35, and 41 -Skirting boards and dado rails throughout p.18, 28, 35, and 41 -Fitted cupboards and bookcases in former library p.18, 28, 35, and 41 and offices

9 Parks Road, Oxford 63 Conservation Plan, August 2013 PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING ANY REPAIRS OR ALTERATIONS ON THE ABOVE- LISTED ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES, CONTACT THE CONSERVATION TEAM AT ESTATES SERVICES ON (01865) (2)78750

9 Parks Road, Oxford 64 Conservation Plan, August 2013 Appendix 5 Floor plans

7.5.1 Basement plan

9 Parks Road, Oxford 65 Conservation Plan, August 2013 7.5.2 Ground-floor plan

9 Parks Road, Oxford 66 Conservation Plan, August 2013 7.5.3 First-floor plan

9 Parks Road, Oxford 67 Conservation Plan, August 2013 7.5.4 Second-floor plan

9 Parks Road, Oxford 68 Conservation Plan, August 2013 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK

9 Parks Road, Oxford 69 Conservation Plan, August 2013